- New Jerseyans and New Yorkers both claim to have the best bagels in the world.
- I tested the same bagel order from a top-rated spot in New Jersey and New York City and found that each state puts its own twist on the classic doughy food.
- I compared a bagel from Jersey City’s Wonder Bagels to one I purchased at Russ & Daughters in Manhattan.
- Presentation, taste, texture, and cream cheese-to-bagel ratio were considered in the taste test.
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Pizza, hot dogs, and pretzels are just a few street snacks that are symbols of the Big Apple, but bagels have become especially synonymous with New York City’s food culture.
New Yorkers are hardly the only ones who feel a connection to the doughy breakfast item, though.
On National Bagel Day in January, a bagel feud broke out after the New Jersey state’s official Twitter account called the Garden State the “bagel capital of the world.”
Passionate New York bagel-eaters did not take New Jersey’s self-proclaimed title lightly.
New York City's mayor, Bill de Blasio, responded on Twitter to give his two cents that the Big Apple is home to the world's best bagels. He also shared his go-to bagel order. Shortly after, though, de Blasio deleted his tweet, after apparently receiving flack for preferring his bagel toasted.
As a self-proclaimed enthusiast of the famous doughy treats, I have a routine that involves getting a bagel once a week. Whether I place my regular order from a tiny spot in my Brooklyn neighborhood or venture to a famous Manhattan deli, I cherish my bagel ritual - but I had yet to venture beyond the borders of New York.
For this taste test, I set out on a mission to answer the world's most pressing bagel conundrum. Keep reading to see how bagels from two of the most iconic bagel spots in New Jersey and New York City stacked up.
The rules of this taste test included ordering the same bagel at a highly acclaimed, well-known bagel spot in both New Jersey and New York City.
I was faced with many recommendations to try the Taylor Ham, egg, and cheese on a bagel, which is an iconic New Jersey breakfast; as well as a bacon, egg, and cheese option, which is another popular bagel combination.
Since I'm not a fan of melted cheese or ham on my bagel (yes, I realize this goes against what many people consider a classic bagel order), and to keep things fair for the purpose of the experiment, I went with my usual: a toasted, whole-wheat everything bagel with scallion cream cheese, tomatoes, and onion.
From there, I ranked the bagels on presentation, cream cheese-to-bagel ratio, texture, and taste.
I created a methodology to properly rate my bagels on a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best), using four main categories as a guide.
Presentation: While looks aren't necessarily an indicator of a tasty bagel, I still took appearance into account during my bagel comparison. After all, in a phone-eats-first world, bagel presentation matters, at least a little bit.
Cream cheese-to-bagel ratio: In this category, I examined whether or not the spread was completely oozing out the side of the bagel, and in general, if the amount of cream cheese was just right.
Texture: I took into account the texture of the bread (Was it fluffy and soft? Crispy on the outside? Was it especially chewy?)
Taste: Finally, I considered the flavor and freshness of the bagel itself, plus the flavor of the cream cheese and toppings combined.
My first stop was Wonder Bagels, located in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Wonder Bagels in Jersey City came highly recommended to me via colleagues who are from New Jersey.
The shop was also named the No. 1 bagel store in the region two years in a row, according to reader surveys conducted by local news site NorthJersey.com.
My bagel order at Wonder Bagels totaled $2.75, which was less expensive than just about every Manhattan and Brooklyn bagel shop I've ever visited.
Then, I paid a visit to Russ & Daughters, a famed New York City deli that's been around since 1914.
Once a favorite of the late chef Anthony Bourdain, Russ & Daughters is a Lower East Side establishment and has been serving high-quality deli fare for more than a century.
I had previously been to Russ & Daughters for its matzo ball soup and black and white cookies (which are fantastic) but had never tried an R&D bagel, which has been called one of the best in the city.
My bagel at Russ & Daughters was around $6.
At first glance, my bagels looked mostly similar, except the Russ & Daughters bagel had some visible cream cheese spillage.
The New Jersey bagel was also a little more oblong than the New York City bagel, which was seemingly a perfect circle. My Jersey version also appeared slightly more shiny to me, while the Russ & Daughters bagel bread had more of a grainy texture.
In terms of presentation, my Jersey bagel took the cake — I mean, let's just take a moment to appreciate those clean lines.
Maybe it's a metaphor for the hectic atmosphere of New York City, but the bagel from Russ & Daughters was on the messy side. The version from Wonder Bagels was much more clean-cut, with the schmear forming almost a perfect rectangle.
New Jersey bagel presentation: 5/5
New York bagel presentation: 3/5
My Jersey bagel was larger than life (and about half the size of my face).
I did not have an appetite for most of the day after my first New Jersey bagel experience.
My New York bagel was not small by any stretch of the imagination, but it seemed significantly smaller than its Jersey counterpart.
This particular New York bagel was not oversized like the doughy treat from Wonder Bagels in New Jersey.
New Jersey's amount of cream cheese was on the overwhelming side for me, but New York nailed the ratio.
While biting into my New Jersey bagel, I felt myself getting mouthfuls of almost pure cream cheese. I wasn't instantly mad about it, but at the same time, I prefer a more equal ratio of spread to bread. Toward the end of my bagel-eating experience, I was slightly put off by the excessive topping.
While it may not have been as eye-catching as the Jersey bagel, my Russ & Daughters circle of dough achieved the perfect balance.
The New York bagel earned a 5/5 in my opinion for its ideal cream cheese-to-bagel ratio, while the New Jersey edition earned a 3/5 due to its sickly layer of spread.
My heart soared at the crispy texture of my New Jersey bagel, while my NYC version was noticeably chewy.
I'm a fan of a toasted bagel, even though it's frowned upon by chefs. That being said, I was happy to find that my New Jersey bagel was toasted to absolute perfection.
There were grill marks on the inner part of the bagel, showing that this was not just another slightly toasted disappointment, but rather a crispy, browned-but-not-burnt circle of dough.
The bagel from Russ & Daughters, to me, was chewy and lacked a fluffiness. I could tell the outside of the bagel had a hint of crispiness, but I missed the crunch I experienced at Wonder Bagels.
New Jersey bagel texture: 5/5
New York bagel texture: 3/5
Both bagels packed a punch with the taste, from the everything seasoning and rich scallion spread, to the flavorful onions and tomatoes.
Both my New Jersey bagel and my NYC bagel earned the highest score in my book for overall flavor and freshness.
Both of the bagels had about an equal distribution of everything seasoning - not so much that the seeds were falling off and "snowing" all over my lap, but enough to occasionally get stuck in my teeth (which is inevitable of a good bagel, in my opinion).
I did, however, favor the thicker texture of the Jersey bagel's scallion cream cheese opposed to the spread on the Russ & Daughters bagel, which was runnier. That being said, a strong, mouth-watering scallion flavor was present in both instances.
My takeaway? Jersey bagels are absolutely worth the hype.
My favorite discovery was that New Jersey and New York bagels aren't one and the same after all. Both of my bagels offered different experiences, despite being the exact same order.
In my experiment, I ranked the New Jersey bagel I tried slightly higher than my New York version.
New Jersey bagel's total score: 5 (Presentation) + 3 (Cream cheese-to-bagel ratio) + 5 (Texture) + 5 (Taste) = 18/20 possible points
New York bagel's score: 3 (Presentation) + 5 (Cream cheese-to-bagel ratio) + 3 (Texture) + 5 (Taste) = 16/20 possible points
Whether New Jersey bagels are the world's best depends partially on personal preference, as someone who enjoys a softer bagel may have preferred the version from New York's famous Russ & Daughters, which was distinctly chewy.
One thing is for sure, though - New Jersey definitely knows what it's doing when it comes to bagels.